-
7.80/10
1.
Premium pick:
Bose Sleepbuds II
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9.40/10
2.
Editors choice:
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) Wireless Earbuds
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8.00/10
3.
Best value:
Soundcore by Anker Sleep A10 Bluetooth Sleep Earbuds
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8.60/10
4.
Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Earbuds
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8.60/10
5.
Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds
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8.80/10
6.
JBL Live Free 2
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8.80/10
7.
Sony WF-C500 Wireless In-Ear Bluetooth Earbuds
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8.40/10
8.
Hearprotek Wireless Earbuds Headphones
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8.60/10
9.
MUSICOZY Sleep Headphones Bluetooth Headband
Some earbuds are designed specifically for sleep; removing any unwanted features, and focusing only on those that can help you sleep. Others offer noise cancellation so you can easily switch off and relax, listening to your favorite music or podcast.
With options to suit every budget, there’s something for everyone. However, you’ll need to decide whether you want to use your earbuds other than for sleeping in as some don’t offer extra functionality.
Here are the best headphones for sleeping and relaxing.
Ergonomically designed to sit in the cradle of your inner ear, the Bose Sleepbuds II are perfectly suited for side sleepers. A choice of earbud tips is also included so that you can ensure maximum comfort for hours on end, as you fix your sleepbuds in place and allow them to do their thing.
The most important thing to mention with the Bose Sleepbuds II is that they will not work with your regular streaming platforms. Don’t expect to be using them for your favorite music or podcasts. Instead, they work exclusively with the Bose Sleep app, which features a library of over 50 specially curated sounds that have been hand-picked to help you drift into unconsciousness in total relaxation.
Choose from soothing sounds of nature, or relaxing tonal environments to let you slip into a peaceful slumber. These Sleepbuds also feature noise-masking technology which allows for passive noise blocking. Although not true noise-blocking earbuds, this is still a handy feature, as it helps mask external noises, making them less perceptible and intrusive.
If relaxing, natural soundscapes sound like your cup of tea, then the Bose Sleepbuds II could be the perfect way for you to unwind at the end of a long day. With an exclusive selection of ambient noise at your disposal, coupled with an ultra-comfortable fit, these premium earbuds could become your new best friend at night time.
- Ergonomically designed to be worn while sleeping
- Utilizes noise masking technology
- Works with Bose Sleep app to give you access to over 50 curated sounds
- Set timers or alarms
- Up to 10 hours of battery life
- Phone-free mode
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Brand: Bose
- Bluetooth: 5.0 (30 feet range)
- Case battery: Lithium-ion (pouch cell)
- Weight: 0.08 ounces
- Dimensions (earbuds): 0.98 x 1.1 x 0.5 inches
- Dimensions (case): 3.03 x 3.03 x 1.08 inches
- Colors: White
- Charging Port: USB-C
- Comfortable to wear all night long
- Library of relaxing soundscapes to choose from
- Noise masking technology aids peaceful sleep
- Cannot be used for podcasts or music streaming
There’s no doubt that noise-canceling headphones and earbuds offer much greater scope for relaxation than those that don’t have this feature. And the Apple AirPods Pro are true noise-canceling earbuds, offering up to two times the noise-canceling capability than previous AirPod incarnations.
Featuring the Apple H2 chip, these earbuds push the limits of noise cancellation, while delivering a crisper, more immersive sound. Clear high notes and rich, deep bass are the order of the day here; and personalized spatial audio works with dynamic head tracking to plunge you into a deeper immersion of sound.
With ANC enabled, you can enjoy up to six hours of battery life, or up to 30 hours using the charging case. Your AirPods can also be charged using your Apple Watch or MagSafe charger. Swipe the earbud stem to adjust the volume, press it to answer or end calls, or hold it to switch between ANC and Transparency Mode.
A customizable fit, plus voice control functionality provides the icing on top of this audio cake. Ideal for keeping the world away when you need it, the Apple AirPods Pro are a great choice of earbud to chill with.
- Advanced audio performance
- ANC
- Up to 6 hours battery life (plus 30 more from charging case)
- Dual beamforming microphones for hands-free calls
- Can be charged with Apple Watch or MagSafe charger
- Adaptive transparency mode
- Personalized spatial audio feature
- Dynamic head tracking
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: Apple
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Case battery: Up to 30 hours
- Weight: 0.19 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 1.78 x 0..85 x 2.39 inches
- Colors: White
- Compatibility: iPhone
- Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Great noise cancellation feature
- High-quality sound performance with plenty of bass
- Works well for voice calls/commands
- Not designed for sleeping in
Another choice of sleep earbuds for your consideration are the Soundcore by Anker A10 Bluetooth Sleep Earbuds. Rather more affordable than some other premium sleep earbuds, these can also be connected to your favorite streaming platforms for you to enjoy the content of your choice. They’re also slim and compact and designed to be slept in, including side sleeping.
However, these are not noise-canceling earbuds. Instead, they have an innovative four-point noise masking system to keep outside noises passive and unobtrusive. This system includes flexible ear wings and twin seal ear tips that create a secure seal against external noise. Connect to the Sleep A10 app and you’ll also find a tailor-made library of sleep content to explore.
You’re recommended to use these sleep earbuds indoors rather than outdoors, as Soundcore asserts that outdoor use may impair overall performance. In the correct environment, however, they sound fantastic. And with up to 10 hours of playtime in Sleep Mode, you can rest assured that you’ll rest; assured of a great night’s sleep.
- Designed for sleeping and side sleeping
- Four-point noise-masking system
- Connects to Sleep A10 app
- Custom dynamic drivers
- Sleep monitoring
- Smart switch from music mode to sleep mode
- In-ear alarm
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours in Sleep Mode
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: Soundcore
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Case battery: 40 hours
- Weight: 2.08 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 2.69 x 2.69 x 1.04 inches
- Colors: White
- Charging Port: USB-C
- Noise Cancellation: No
- Allows you to stream music and podcasts as well as sleep app content
- Comfortable for sleeping in
- Plenty of battery life when used with charging case
- Not suitable for outdoor use
If you’re looking for a pair of noise-canceling earbuds that are equally great to listen to on the go and for relaxing with, you could do a lot worse than the Bose Quiet Comfort Noise-Cancelling Earbuds. Choose from full noise-cancellation or transparency mode or pick a little bit of both for your perfect balance.
Three types of earbud tips are included to ensure a secure and comfortable fit. Simple touch controls adjust the level of noise-cancellation you receive and allow you to fiddle about with the sound settings to your heart’s content. Noise-rejecting microphones remove the frustration of inconsistent voice call clarity, and volume-optimized Active EQ keeps the sound balanced.
These Bose earbuds are IPX4 weather and sweat resistant and provide six hours of listening pleasure on a full charge. This can be boosted by an additional 12 hours using the charging case provided. For noise-cancellation, transparency, and everything in between, the Bose Quiet Comfort Noise-Cancelling Earbuds are one choice you’re unlikely to regret.
- Noise-canceling
- Up to six hours battery life (plus an additional 12 hours with case)
- Transparency mode
- Noise-rejecting microphones
- IPX4 water-resistant
- Fast charging
- Battery Life: Up to 6 hours
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: Bose
- IP Rating: IPX4
- Solo bud mode?: Yes
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Case battery: Up to 12 hours
- Weight: 0.317 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 1.99 x 3.42 x 1.34 inches
- Colors: Black
- Charging Port: USB-C
- Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Full noise-canceling
- Crystal clear voice calls
- Volume-optimized EQ delivers crisp sound at any level
- Some may not like the larger, more indiscreet design
Leading Sony’s charge on the noise-canceling earbud market are the Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds. Boasting industry-leading noise-cancellation technology, these Sony earbuds offer a host of other features to help sweeten the deal.
These earbuds have Alexa built-in and support crystal clear call quality, thanks to a beamforming microphone and bone-conduction sensors. Speak-to-chat technology automatically reduces the volume during conversations to minimize distortion, and the new Integrated Processor V1 provides exceptional sound quality.
Thanks to the multi-point connection you can connect two devices at once, should you wish to. They are IPX4 water-resistant and will run for eight hours in noise-canceling mode. And with an additional 16 hours of charge from the charging case, you have a total of 24 hours of battery life. Incredible sound with true noise-cancellation technology, these Sony earbuds are ideal for relaxing with.
- Noise-canceling
- IPX4 water-resistant
- Four microphones for voice calling
- Multipoint connection
- 24 hours of battery life (including charging case)
- Speak to Chat feature
- Battery Life: Up to 8 hours
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: Sony
- Bluetooth: Yes
- IP Rating: IPX4
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Case battery: Up to 16 hours
- Weight: 1.45 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 3.7 x 2.56 x 3.39 inches
- Colors: Black
- Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Great noise-canceling earbuds
- Speak to Chat feature is great for voice calls
- Good battery life; even in noise-canceling mode
- ANC not available for voice calls; automatically switches to partial ambient
6. JBL Live Free 2
The JBL Live Free 2 earbuds provide adaptive noise-cancellation that automatically adjusts itself based on your immediate surroundings. Or, for occasions where you need to remain focused on your surroundings, you can use Smart Ambient mode to mitigate external noise without eliminating it.
For voice calls, there are six beamforming microphones built-in to dramatically reduce any interference and to make sure you are heard clearly. And there’s a VoiceAware function that allows you to control how much of your own voice you can hear, by giving you the option to adjust the amount of mic input that gets routed back to your earbuds.
They have an oval-shaped design that has been engineered to provide a better level of comfort in the ear, better isolation of sound, and better bass. And with up to 35 hours of playback (seven hours from the earbuds and an additional 28 from the charging case), you can enjoy true clarity of sound morning, noon, and night.
- Adaptive Noise Cancellation
- Smart Ambient sound feature
- Six beamforming microphones
- 11mm dynamic drivers
- VoiceAware feature
- Up to 35 hours of battery life (including 28 with case)
- Battery Life: Up to 7 hours
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: JBL
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Case battery: Up to 28 hours
- Weight: 9.1 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 1.73 x 3.94 x 6.3 inches
- Colors: Gray
- Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Oval tubes provide extra comfort for wearer
- Great for noise cancellation
- Price is competitive
- Controls are not fully customizable
Another option from Sony to sit back and enjoy the music is the Sony WF-C500 Wireless Earbuds. IPX4 water-resistant, these noise-canceling earbuds are ergonomically designed to sit comfortably in the ear to let you enjoy your tunes uninterrupted.
Hands-free calls are supported thanks to a high-quality built-in microphone, although this doesn’t filter out all external noise like some other models. The noise-canceling features here are more geared towards playing music, and this makes these earbuds much more suited to people who will predominantly use them for this purpose.
The 10-hour battery life (20 hours with the charging case) is pretty decent. And if you happen to be in a hurry, a quick 10-minute charge gives you around an hour of playback. Small and snug in the ear, these are great quality earbuds that are ideal for kicking back with your favorite music and provide great playback performance.
- Noise-cancellation
- IPX4 water-resistance
- Up to 10 hours battery life (20 with charging case)
- Fast charging
- Battery Life: Up to 10 hours
- Charging Case Included?: Yes
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: Sony
- Bluetooth: Yes
- IP Rating: IPX4
- Solo bud mode?: Yes
- Wireless Charging: Yes
- Case battery: Up to 10 hours
- Weight: 4.80 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 3.15 x 1.38 x 1.22 inches
- Colors: Black
- Charging Port: USB-C
- Noise Cancellation: Yes
- Ergonomic design provides a good in-ear fit
- Fast-charging; one hour of music for 10 minutes of charge time
- Sound customization is good
- Noise cancellation does not work on calls, only music
With super-soft double-layer silicone ear tips, these wireless earbuds from Hearprotek are ideal for getting your head down to enjoy some well-earned shuteye. Designed to suit side sleepers, these earbuds are equally suited for relaxation or meditation and provide almost 25 hours of playback on a full charge.
Featuring a flexible neckband design, the earbuds are attached to wires that run along the neckband itself. There are control panels fixed to the wires for adjusting volume, skipping up or down a track, or taking voice calls. The wire itself is made from a bulletproof fiber that guarantees durability and won’t tug on the earbuds as your body naturally twists and turns in bed.
There’s no noise-cancellation technology here, which is to be expected for the price. And not everyone will like the neckband design. However, the Hearprotek Wireless EarbudsHeadphones are still well worth considering if you’re looking for a budget-priced pair of wireless earbuds that are comfortable to wear for sleeping and provide a good amount of battery life.
- Wireless earbuds for side sleeping
- Connective neck band
- Up to 25 hours battery life
- Bulletproof wire
- Battery Life: Up to 25 hours
- Charging Case Included?: No
- Microphone?: Yes
- Brand: Hearprotek
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Weight: 2.96 ounces
- Dimensions (case): 6.46 x 4.96 x 0.75 inches
- Colors: Black
- Charging Port: USB-C
- Noise Cancellation: No
- Great for side sleeping
- High-quality budget priced option
- Good battery life
- Tethered neckband prevents either earbud from being misplaced
- Not noise-canceling
- Tethered neckband will put some people off
These Musicozy Sleep Headphones are housed inside a rather fetching sports headband and have a slim and comfortable design that makes them an enticing prospect for sleeping in. The headband itself is stylish and breathable, being made from sweatproof technology. So there’s no danger of overheating in it while you’re catching 40 winks.
For two hours of charging time, you’ll get 10 hours of playback. The headphones are HD quality but don’t look for additional features like noise cancellation here. This Bluetooth headband is washable (once you remove the headphones, obviously), and suitable for exercising in as well, should you happen to wake up feeling energized after all that sleep!
If you don’t object to the idea of sleeping in a headband and aren’t fussed about a lack of more advanced functionality, you’ll find that these sleep headphones are more than worthy of consideration as a potential sleep aid. And if it helps to tip the scales, that headband might even make you look cooler while you’re sleeping too!
- Bluetooth headband with side sleeping earbuds
- Breathable and washable material
- 10-hour battery life
- HD stereo sound
- Supports hands-free voice calls
- Brand: Musicozy
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Color: Various
- Weight: 0.3 ounces
- Dimensions: 7.87 x 3.94 x 0.59 inches
- Wireless: Yes
- Battery Life: 10 hours
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Equally suited for sportswear as well as for sleep
- Cool design on headband
- Despite being made of breathable material, some people just won’t like the idea of sleeping in a headband
FAQ
Q: Is It Okay To Sleep With Earbuds In?
Earbuds generally aren’t designed to be worn for long periods at a time. They can irritate the ear canal. However, some earbuds can be used to help you drop off to sleep, or at least relax.
Q: Are Bose Sleepbuds Worth It?
Bose Sleepbuds were designed specifically to be worn while you drop off to sleep. The design is slightly different from traditional earbuds, and they block out noise effectively while offering relaxing sounds and meditation-focused content.